This invention relates to containers for dispensing liquids (e.g., water) or solids, where the containers are normally lifted and then inverted in order to empty the container which may include mounting the container on top of a dispenser (e.g., a water cooler).
By way of example, containers for dispensing liquids may be water cooler bottles which typically are relatively large (bulky) and heavy. Such a bottle filled with five gallons of water may weigh more than 40 pounds, not counting the weight of the bottle. The containers (water bottles) generally have an elongated body with a closed bottom (base) and an opening at the top, opposite the base, for filling the container with liquid and for drawing the liquid out via the opening, when in use. The bottles are normally stored with their base on the ground or floor or in a box. A user must normally pick up the bottle from a storage area and then lift it up, invert it and place it onto the top of a dispenser (water cooler) with the liquid in the container flowing out of the opening into the dispenser. This is not an easy task to accomplish. Water cooler bottles generally do not have handles. This makes the picking up and inverting of the bottles very difficult, especially for individuals who are not particularly strong.
This is a significant problem as evidenced by numerous references discussing various means for carrying, lifting and turning these large bottles. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,216 titled Container With Integral Ergonomic Handle issued to Meisner et al shows the addition of a recessed handle to a water bottles. However, in Meisner et al. the recessed handle is either generally parallel to the major longitudinal axis of the bottle or at some angle close to 45 degrees with respect to the vertical. Although such an approach has some advantages, it puts much stress on the hand and wrist and is not suitable for those who do not have strong hands and/or wrists. Also, the patented scheme in so far as it pertains to an angled recessed handle is not adapted to enable lifting by both hands/arms of a user.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a container with at least one handle positioned such that the container, when filled, may be lifted without overly stressing the hand and/or wrists.
It is another object of the invention to provide a container with handles positioned such that the container may be lifted easily and such that it may subsequently be pivoted (turned upside down) with little effort.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an elongated container includes at least one handle formed along the side of the container with the handle being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container so a user""s hand can be wrapped around the handle, with the palm and fingers either facing in the upward direction or facing in the downward direction. This enables a user to grip the handle in a manner most comfortable to the user and to bring into play the user""s elbows and shoulders to pick up the container.
In the discussion to follow xe2x80x9cbottlesxe2x80x9d may be used as a particular type of containers to illustrate the invention. Thus, a container, such as a water bottle, embodying the invention, may have a generally elongated (cylindrical) body with the elongated (cylindrical) body terminating at its bottom end into a base which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and terminating at its top end into an annular tapering shoulder region with a cylindrical neck opposite the bottom and coaxial with the longitudinal axis with an opening in the neck for passing water into and out of the bottle. The bottle includes at least one recessed (cavity) region, integral to the bottle, located along and within the elongated (cylindrical) body with a side handle, integral to the bottle, extending across at least part of the recessed region, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, for enabling a user""s hand to be wrapped around the handle with the palm and fingers facing either up towards the neck or down towards the bottom of the bottle for selectively enabling the bottle to be lifted and inverted more easily. The outer surface of the side handle does not extend beyond the outer radius of the cylindrical body whereby there is no impediment to stacking the bottles one next to the other and/or one on top of the other.
Bottles (and/or containers) embodying the invention may include a second recessed (cavity) region formed along the bottom or the underside (base) of the bottle with a second handle formed across at least part of the second recessed region; and wherein a user may grip the side handle and use the second (xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d) handle to pivot the bottle about the side handle. The second, or bottom, handle may extend along or within any recess formed along the bottom or the base of the bottle. The second handle may be formed along the bottom or the underside (base) of the bottle or it may be formed above the bottom of the bottle to enable the hand of a user to be passed around the xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d handle even when the bottle bottom is resting on a flat surface.
Bottles embodying the invention may include two xe2x80x9chorizontalxe2x80x9d side handles, opposite each other along the cylindrical body. These side handles may be formed in the upper region of the bottle at or near the shoulder region.
Containers embodying the invention do not need to have a cylindrical body. The body of containers embodying the invention may have the shape of a polygon (e.g., a rectangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, etc.).